Abused Dog's Bloody Footprints Lead Police to Owner

Woman tells police she wanted to "get rid of" dog

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FILE IMAGE: Police say the dog was bloodied and beaten, but it's in stable condition now.

A Chicago woman is accused of abusing the dog she’d owned for 10 years, locking it out in the cold and letting children beat it with baseball bats and broomsticks.

Lashon Parks, who lives in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, was charged with animal cruelty and failure to comply with an animal owner’s duties, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Police told the Trib they got a call about animal abuse in the 600 block of North Drake Avenue around 6 p.m. Saturday. Officers saw kids trying to beat the dog. The children ran from police, who followed the dog’s bloody footprints back to its home, where it scratched at the door and tried to get in.

Parks was inside the home. She told officers she’d owned the dog for 10 years, but didn’t want it anymore, and let one of her relatives set it loose to “get rid of it,” according to the Trib's report.

The dog is in stable condition, according to Animal Care & Control. It’s being evaluated by the agency’s veterinarians.